Astrophysics & Astrophotography

Dr. Travis A. Rector

RY Tau

RY Tau is a member of a class of objects known as T Tauri stars. These stars represent the very youngest of low-mass stellar specimens that have only recently emerged from the cocoon of gas and dust in which they formed. This image displays a striking array of wispy gas filaments that glow from scattering caused by radiation from the nearby star. Over the next few million years this gas will be blown away by the central star leaving a normal star and perhaps a family of planets that also formed from gas and dust in the cloud. This system is approximately 140 parsecs (450 light years) away, and spans about 2/3 of a light year across. The central star is a variable star that ranges from a visual magnitude of about 9-11 over an irregular period. These observations were the result of a proposal submitted as part of a nationwide contest in Canada. Gilbert St-Onge is the club member of the Canadian amateur astronomy group who submitted the proposal.